The media allows access to incredible amounts of information and continues to become very integral to the lives of many people. That’s why as the world becomes more globalized, it is more necessary than ever to pay attention to the media itself.

It’s important that media consumers not be passive; rather, they need to be constantly active. Instead of just “absorbing” media content like sponges, consumers should be constantly asking themselves and others questions about the media. Some examples are:

“Who, if anyone, controls the media services I use?”

“When I read the news, do the reporters have any underlying agendas or biases?”

“When I watch the news, is the information I receive accurate and complete?”

“When I hear the news, are opposing perspectives honestly presented?”

“Is there too much mixing between information and entertainment?”

“Is it a waste of time to pay attention to some media sources?”

Also, new technologies—especially Internet-based ones—allow more and more people to become producers of media themselves. A few examples are videos, blogs, social networking sites, Internet forums and mobile phones. It’s important that these and other media-producing services are used. Expressing one’s opinion is not only important for oneself, but important to others as well since they can gain new perspectives.